The Problem
Aerospace is a tremendously collaborative industry. A new aircraft requires numerous suppliers to design and manufacture components to exacting safety standards, which are then assembled into the wonder that is a modern aeroplane.
The inherent complexity in this design and engineering process means that better design data collaboration between suppliers could lead to improved designs, better safety, and faster time to take-off; but commercial sensitivities and old ways of working mean that data is rarely shared.
The Solution
Recognising the enormous commercial potential for collaboration, Airbus instigated a data sharing network with its supply chain called APROCONE. It is a multi-supplier data sharing platform which provides a secure and efficient way to share product data, allowing for a more integrated aircraft design process. Engineers can design in parallel using the latest data, thus reducing the delays of sending designs back and forth between the various parties.
The data sharing platform is currently an R&D project led by Airbus, but clearly demonstrates the potential for competing suppliers to design engineered products more efficiently and effectively through timely data sharing for the commercial benefit of all. This data sharing approach could be applied across many engineering sectors.
Key Benefits
- Collaborative design leads to safer, better products
- Reduces the new product development cycle
- Lower costs of design
